Every year, millions of people are arrested, required to pay money bail they cannot afford, separated from their families and loved ones, or absent from their jobs–subjected to long periods of incarceration based on the mere accusation of a crime. This all occurs while people are presumed innocent under the law. Black and brown people, their loved ones, and those without the economic resources to thrive suffer the worst harms.
The money bail system is in dire need of an overhaul.
In the ACLU’s new report, “A New Vision for Pretrial Justice in the United States,” we outline a pretrial policy vision.